Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

Republicans cannot even be trusted with their own money.

The desire to stay informed is directly at odds with the need to not be constantly enraged.

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

Quote tweet friends, screenshot enemies.

Every decision we make has lots of baggage with it, known or unknown.

They are not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

Also, are you sure you want people to rate your comments?

GOP baffled that ‘we don’t care if you die’ is not a winning slogan.

Hey hey, RFK, how many kids did you kill today?

Innocent people do not delay justice.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

The unpunished coup was a training exercise.

Dear elected officials: Trump is temporary, dishonor is forever.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

“Can i answer the question? No you can not!”

They want us to be overwhelmed and exhausted. Focus. Resist. Oppose.

The real work of an opposition party is to oppose.

People identifying as christian while ignoring christ and his teachings is a strange thing indeed.

No one could have predicted…

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

I might just take the rest of the day off and do even more nothing than usual.

Hell hath no fury like a farmer bankrupted.

You are here: Home / Absent Friends / Peter Ross’s, AKA efgoldman’s, Obituary

Peter Ross’s, AKA efgoldman’s, Obituary

by | 227 Comments

This post is in: 

Thanks to commenter SiubhanDuinne, here’s Peter’s obituary:

ROSS, Peter F. Age 73, of Cumberland, RI, formerly of Belmont, MA, and Brookline, MA, passed away March 25. He was, for nearly 20 years, a well-known voice to Boston as an announcer for classical radio station WCRB before beginning his second career working with Fidelity Investments in 1995, where he remained until retiring in 2015. He was a dedicated musician, staying enmeshed in Boston’s classical and amateur music communities after leaving the air, serving as concert announcer for several community bands and at the annual Boston Festival of Bands held each June at Faneuil Hall. He was particularly involved with the Metropolitan Wind Symphony, where he performed as concert announcer for more than 20 years and also served as a member of the board. He was a 1963 graduate of Brookline High School and 1968 graduate of Boston University. He is survived by his brother; his wife Marilyn; his daughter Katherine, son-in-law Matthew, and beloved grandchildren Miranda and Ethan, to whom he was utterly devoted and by whom he was utterly smitten. A Memorial Reception will be held in April. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Metropolitan Wind Symphony, the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, or any local music education program in your community that serves to teach and inspire the next generation of musicians.

View the online memorial for Peter F. ROSS

Also, while I know a lot of folks are concerned that something seems to have happened to his comments, when I do a keyword search at the comments tab in the dashboard, they’re all still in there. So this is probably one of the joys of WP. Just know they’re not gone. We now know there is a problem. And I’ll make sure Cole and Alain know so we can ensure they don’t go poof.

Fuckem!

Open thread!

 

Reader Interactions

227Comments

  4. 4.

    John Cole

    I feel as if the greatest tribute I could make is to stomp on this post with an open thread, but I shall not. I wish he were still here.

  8. 8.

    R-Jud

    I’m very grateful to this place that I got to know him and interact with him a little, even in Internet-mediated format. I’m so sorry for his family’s loss.

  10. 10.

    JPL

    @John Cole: We all do. What a wonderful tribute to such a great man who will always be remembered by our fuckems. Thank you EFG for posting and bringing us such joy.

  11. 11.

    piratedan

    dunno how feasible it may be, but perhaps the blog can have an “in memorium” section and in the rebuild perhaps a link to some of our fellow commenters like efg and schlemazel and captain stuck. We could archive some of their commentary and it would allow us to visit and remember them

  16. 16.

    HypersphericalCow

    It makes me smile that an announcer for classical music, when he got off the air, commented like a sailor. He will be missed.

  17. 17.

    gene108

    Big loss for everyone, who knew him, either in real life or on the internet. RIP! And condolences for his family.

  19. 19.

    Steve in the ATL

    @piratedan: that’s a nice thought, but I can’t even keep up with current threads

    Steve in the IND after a harrowing time in the Columbus/Edinburgh Metroplex

  24. 24.

    Ohio Mom

    @Another Scott: Thanks for the link, it was a wonderful walk down memory lane.

    Ah, the halcyon days of the summer of 2010 when instead of documenting the dismantling of our democracy, we had attention for such weighty matters as “What should be done about our un-singable national anthem”…sigh.

  25. 25.

    MomSense

    Thank you to Adam and Subaru Diane for connecting us with his family and this remembrance of his life.

    I miss him.

    Fuck em.

  26. 26.

    FlyingToaster

    @Steve in the ATL: Columbus Indiana is many things, but none of them is a “Metroplex”.

    [I spent a century or so in Bloomington, over the course of 8 years]

  28. 28.

    satby

    @Another Scott: I remembered that thread once I started reading, what a lovely trip down memory lane, when Stuck was with us too. I clicked on his name and read a bit of his old blog too, with Charlie at pride of place at the top.
    The circle of life.

  30. 30.

    Elizabelle

    I love that his station’s call letters were WCRB.

    W-Crab. It is so perfect. (Although PRoss aka efg just played one in online life.)

  33. 33.

    Tom Levenson

    Peter was an all round good guy.

    Fuckem. (W. affection)

    Too many people I care about, family, friends, and voices in my various communities, have gone lately.

    Feh

  35. 35.

    jeffreyw

    @piratedan: I think the best sort of In Memoriam features are those that begin “I miss …” that are followed by an anecdote or two. Good for the still living and long absent. Death not required!

  36. 36.

    zhena gogolia

    @Another Scott:

    Thank you for that. Lots of nyms on there we haven’t seen in a while, like Warren Terra. This is the key comment by Davis X. Machina:

    I was in college at the time and remember every ‘BUR, ‘CRB, or ‘GBH overnight host, his (or her) signature tune, and general taste in music. Those were the days when Bill Caveness read me all of War and Peace one cooking-of-dinner at a time. Peter Ross was closer to me than anyone in my family. Dick Kay was my dad.

    Magical BJ!

  37. 37.

    K488

    I mostly lurk here, but had picked up that efg had been a broadcaster of classical music in the Boston are. Now I realize that I had heard him frequently on WCRB back in the ’70’s and ’80’s. He’d recognized the significance of my nym. I shall miss his commentary.

  38. 38.

    trollhattan

    @scav:
    “That was the third movement from the “Fuckem Suite” by Berlioz, performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Seiji Ozawa.”

    I like the notion of having heard that some soft Saturday afternoon.

    Carry on EFG-Peter, your voice emanates away from the planet at the speed of light, just needing a clever listener to tune in. Who knows?

  43. 43.

    EthylEster

    @K488:

    He’d recognized the significance of my nym.

    And now the goggle has let me recognize the significance of HIS nym.

  47. 47.

    Ruckus

    @HypersphericalCow:
    I used to work for a subsidiary of a non profit and knew the CEO for nearly 20 yrs and had never heard him swear once. Went to work there, first week needed to discuss something with him, sitting in his office, I found out he had two voices. His normal one, in which he spoke like a sailor, iow I understood every word, and his public voice in which he never used any swear words. EFG reminds me of this man, or vice versa if you will. He did teach me how to separate the two voices so that I could speak, say on TV and or in a public speaking manner. It is a skill that takes effort to learn.

  48. 48.

    B.B.A.

    @scav: @trollhattan: As a sometimes WQXR listener myself, I can only imagine what the smooth-n-smarmy voices introducing my Mozart are like when the “on air” light goes out. On the other hand, as a fellow finance industry drone, I can say that EFG cussed here a lot less than the norm for his later field of employment.

    My favorite classical FM line: “Some people call the viola a big violin, but that is not the case. Rather, it is the violin that is the small viola.”

  53. 53.

    Mr Stagger Lee

    I thank him for his contributions in classical music. It is a blessing to have an classical station in a community, I donate to one. My Condolences to his family and friends.

  54. 54.

    Nicole

    What a lovely tribute, and how lovely to request people make contributions to bring up the next generation of musicians. I will really miss his comments.

  55. 55.

    debbie

    Also, while I know a lot of folks are concerned that something seems to have happened to his comments, when I do a keyword search at the comments tab in the dashboard, they’re all still in there.

    I never closed the tab and they’re all still there.

    ETA: It may seem Stone Ageish, but I was thinking about making a pdf of the page.

    ETAETA: Lovely obit. I think I may have heard his voice; I was living in Boston way back then.

  56. 56.

    Steve in the ATL

    @MomSense: no, but my confidential sources tell me that he is taking care of his father and uncle right now and this too busy for our nonsense.

  57. 57.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    In reading Peter’s obituary I am left with the impression that with as much that is listed as highlights of his life, this barely scratches the top of who he was and the positive influences he had in touching the lives of others as he passed through his own life.

    Rest in peace, efg/Peter Ross, we’ll keep the fuck em’s up and running for you.

    My condolences and positive thoughts to Marilyn and Peter’s family and friends.

  59. 59.

    Nelle

    I would really like to hear his voice but so far, the google hasn’t turned up any audio of his programs. If anyone can link to anything, I would appreciate it.

  60. 60.

    Ohio Mom

    @JPL: Thanks. That’s good manners of Baud, to let us know he’s taking off. Hope he is enjoying himself.

  64. 64.

    Ruckus

    EFG will be missed, already is.
    Hope his wife and family are OK.
    I like that his daughter came here to let us know about him a bit more.
    Those of us who don’t use our real names online often have multiple lives that we don’t want to intermingle for one reason or another, that’s why I did when I first started.
    @John Cole:
    That sounds about right.
    Fuckem.

  66. 66.

    West of the Rockies

    @Warren Terra:

    I also supposed EF was older; I’d have guessed 80-something. Who is the oldest? Is it the big man himself, JC?

    Just kidding.

  68. 68.

    trollhattan

    @Ohio Mom: @debbie:
    I’m picturing him appearing, Zelig-like, at everybody’s campaign rallies, on stage ten feet to the right. After four or five such appearances the media notice and begin Twittering about the “mysterious Democratic Party staffer who seems to be everywhere at once.”

    We all know free media is key to a successful campaign.

  69. 69.

    Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho

    @Steve in the ATL:

    the collective wine list of all restaurants in the Indianapolis airport….

    is perhaps not as good as the list in some Blue Ash cafes?

  70. 70.

    Another Scott

    ArtFuse:

    Peter Benoit (1834 – 8 March 1901) was a Flemish/Belgian composer whose first teachers were his father and the village organist. He went to the Brussels Conservatory and in 1857 won the Belgian Prix de Rome with a cantata, “Le Meurtre d’Abel.” My first acquaintance with Benoit’s music was when I put on a recording of his fine Requiem on WCRB’s old Music Through the Night program. (Remember Peter Ross? One of the very best classical music announcers in the business.) Investigating further, I bought a copy of Benoit’s expansive and, I think, very interesting piano collection, Tales and Ballads, Op. 34 (1861). A good number of his other works, including the Flute Concerto and Piano Concerto, both subtitled Symphonic Tale, have since been recorded.

    (Emphasis added.)

  72. 72.

    opiejeanne

    @Odie Hugh Manatee: You’ve said most of what I was going to say about our efGoldman. I remember when his daughter was on Jeopardy (we watched) and later how she was dissed by Chris Christie for not knowing something or other about his fine state. I don’t remember exactly what Peter said, but I’m sure “fuckem” was the sign-off comment.

    condolences to his wife and family.

  79. 79.

    Another Scott

    ConcordBand (from 1996):

    Radio Personality Peter Ross to Narrate McGah Work
    The Concord Band is honored to have veteran classical music radio announcer Peter Ross as the Narrator for the world premiere of Reflections of Emerson, Thomas J. McGah’s new work for Narrator and Concert Band, which will be presented at the Band’s Winter Concert on Saturday, March 2, at 51 Walden in Concord. Peter was classical music announcer for twenty years on WGBH and WBUR, and spent fifteen years as overnight host on WCRB. It is believed that his tenure at WCRB was the longest in that time period for any announcer in any format, and certainly in classical radio. Peter has a longtime interest in music for band and wind ensemble, stemming from his days as a player in high school, college, and community bands. He has served as Master of Ceremonies and commentator for several Boston Festivals of Bands, in which the Concord Band participated. Peter is also the regular concert host and commentator for the Metropolitan Wind Symphony and appears with the Patrick Gilmore Society All-State Honors Community Band, the Middlesex Community Band, the Boston University Wind Ensemble, and others. He has performed pieces for band and narrator to texts by John F. Kennedy with the Boston University Alumni Band, traditional children’s and holiday stories with the Metropolitan Wind Symphony, and by Edgar Allen Poe with the Boston University Wind Ensemble.

    Record breaking! :-)

    RIP, EFG/Peter. We’ll remember you.

    Best wishes to his family and all who loved him.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  80. 80.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Steeplejack: mmm…red blend. Tried to get on an earlier flight, but they were all overbooked. Why is there such a crowd flying from Indianapolis to Atlanta today? The only good part is that I still have my upgrade on the later flight. Three extra hours in IND in exchange for 90 minutes in first class? Yeah, I got the short end of that one.

  82. 82.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @opiejeanne:

    I remember when his daughter was on Jeopardy (we watched) and later how she was dissed by Chris Christie for not knowing something or other about his fine state

    The question was asking who the three Governors of adjoining states began with the letter ‘C’, Kate missed Christie. The Joisy Whale got on the radio and called her a moron. I saw the replay on ‘Joe of the Morning’, efg was not amused.

  83. 83.

    piratedan

    @Steve in the ATL: ty Steve but I simply screwed up the handle, but I imagine that I’ll see more pile on before the end of the thread. Still, I like the idea of a In Memorium place where people who have made an impression on the jackaltariat have a place, mea culpa on GS and forgetting Greennotgreen, but that’s why I think that perhaps someplace like that would allow us to ensure that they endure just not in our hearts, but that’s just me. No idea on if its even doable…

  86. 86.

    Haydnseek

    Isn’t it wonderful that we can care so much for someone who we know only through our shared online presence? I would go on, but there seems to be something in my eye……..

  88. 88.

    eemom

    @Steeplejack:

    I’ve been thinking back to when General Stuck disappeared, you and I set out to find out what happened and finally did (by means I can’t recall), and we got a whole lot of shit for it from Corner Stone and Fuckhead and their ilks. Then some time later Stuck’s sister (or was it niece?) appeared and told us she’d read the RIP thread to Stuck’s elderly Dad and it was a great comfort to him.

    I think there was a pastor involved as well….

  95. 95.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Steve in the ATL: There hasn’t been a Connecticut governor whose name started with “C” since Wilbur Cross in the 1930’s (namesake of the Wilbur Cross Parkway.)

  96. 96.

    eemom

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    I’ve only been here for 9 years(being a refugee from the health care wars at The Great Orange Satan*).

    This month marks my 10th anniversary! I remember cuz I had back surgery in June of that ancient 2009. And my kids were still kids! ?

    I was a FDL refugee, as were also Raven and Redshift (who turned out to be my college classmate!).

    ? It’s a small internet after all….?

    Last but not least: Cole was mean to me the first time I commented. I knew right then I was destined for this place.

  98. 98.

    trollhattan

    @West of the Rockies:
    Guilty;-)

    College station, NPR affiliate. Sometimes just running the booth, doing station IDs every 30 and transmitter readings every three hours (“Hi, Susan Stamberg wherever you are”), sometimes announcing jazz and classical, but the hook was driving dad’s car at night with a self-programmed rock shift. We of course were all snooty in that special college kid way of never playing anything popular. “Hey kids, how does an hour of nothing but Can sound? Trick question, you’re about to find out.”

    Watching broadcasting dissolve before my eyes in the ’80s and 90s was very painful, because for a time it was both vital and a legitimate career path.

  101. 101.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Gin & Tonic: New Jersey and Connecticut don’t share a border either, Kate got the Dem Governors but missed the rather large Rep. I gave efg a bit a of shit about Christie being hard to miss just based on size alone.

  102. 102.

    Mary G

    You can contribute to the Metropolitan Winds by PayPal at metwinds.org or

    If you prefer to contribute by check, please make the check payable to MetWinds and mail it to us at 62 Mossdale Road, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130.

  103. 103.

    debbie

    @eemom:

    I was still lurking, but was totally drained and dispirited by the end of the day by everything that had happened.

  104. 104.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @West of the Rockies:

    I’m three years older than EFG (will be 77 in August) and for a while thought I was the oldest regular commenter here. But now I think there are a few others who have at least a year or two on me. Can’t recall at the moment who they are.

  105. 105.

    Steve in the ATL

    @trollhattan:

    Watching broadcasting dissolve before my eyes in the ’80s and 90s was very painful

    How dare you denigrate my late eighties show on my college radio station. I demand satisfaction!

  106. 106.

    MazeDancer

    EFG’s pics looked exactly like I had imagined. Okay, was picturing wilder hair, but otherwise pleasantly not surprised.

    Missed he is, missed he will contnue to be.

    73 is not only too young, also not at the upper end of BJ commetariat. Starting to worry about losing others.

    But no inviting trouble. Just celebrate each other as we can. And appreciate that pixels are forever.

  110. 110.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    @opiejeanne: Too often I struggle to find the ‘right words’ to say when someone has passed. I will start something and back up because it seems so inadequate, over and over again. Not this time.

  111. 111.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @West of the Rockies:

    I was a classical music announcer/producer/music director for NPR affiliates for eleven+ years in the 1970s-early ’80s. You’re right, the pay sucked, but they were wonderful times.

  115. 115.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Steve in the ATL:

    I figured someone would go there. Was thinking of doing it myself as a preëmptive strike, and then thought, Nah, why deprive Steve in the OMG of the pleasure?

  116. 116.

    CaseyL

    @SiubhanDuinne: That’s good to know, because I like hanging out in places where I’m one of the youngsters. Such venues are getting hard to find :)

  117. 117.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Nah, why deprive Steve in the OMG of the pleasure?

    He’s in Namibia*? I thought he was in Indiana.

    *Omega Airport (IATA: OMG, ICAO: FYOE) is a former military airport serving the village of Omega in the Kavango East Region of Namibia.

  119. 119.

    jeffreyw

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    But now I think there are a few others who have at least a year or two on me. Can’t recall at the moment who they are.

    Older than you? I bet they have a hard time remembering, too!
    ///
    I’m just a pup, not even 70 yet, but hoping to see it. You give me hope.

  122. 122.

    Ben Cisco

    My condolences to the family, including the jackalteriat. There’s been so much loss in the last few years. So much pain. Very depressing.

  123. 123.

    frosty

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: I am also a GOS refugee, Got my start reading blogs in early 2005, found this place ~2010.

    efg had one hell of a bio masked by curmudgeonly fuckems. I’ll miss him.

  124. 124.

    Gelfling 545

    Such a loss to his family and to this community. This place won’t be the same without him.

  125. 125.

    Steeplejack

    @Steve in the ATL:

    Why is there such a crowd flying from Indianapolis to Atlanta today?

    When I lived in Atlanta and flew in and out of there a lot, it finally dawned on me that people like your Indianapolis crowd aren’t necessarily flying to Atlanta, they’re flying through Atlanta to get someplace else. Who knows? Maybe there’s a barbecue festival in Birmingham or something.

  126. 126.

    Gammyjill

    I came here after Steve Gillard died. Also found Raw Story, Political Wire, and Kevin Drum. The one thing I regret was that Gillard didn’t live to see Obama elected.

  129. 129.

    West of the Rockies

    @trollhattan:

    I started out as a Telecommunications major until I realized many of the people that field drew were shallow and full of themselves. I switched (tragically) to English Lit.

  131. 131.

    raven

    T Rex was also the classical music DJ at the Georgia Public Broadcasting station here in Athens.

  134. 134.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @West of the Rockies:

    Well, keep on keeping on!

    I intend to, thanks! Although I doubt I’ll be jumping out of any more perfectly innocent planes :-) BTDT.

    You’re one of my favs!

    Oh wow, thank you very much.

  135. 135.

    raven

    @SiubhanDuinne: Yea, hopefully she’s getting some sleep because it was a rough trip as far as time. It turns out Bohdi has had the lump on his leg for some time and needs no further treatment. Lil Bit has to wait until the 11th to get an ultrasound that will show an enlarged heat and then maybe some meds will help.

    thanks

  136. 136.

    West of the Rockies

    I found BJ in about ‘7 (seeking solace from the GWB administration… Funny, what seemed unutterably dreadful now, in light of Lump, seems almost benign). I lurked for a time, and then finally got brave.

  137. 137.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @raven:

    You know, one of these days I’m going to get my ass in gear very early in the a.m. and just show up at the bakery to greet you and the furries.

    Glad the princess touched down safely. Hope she adjusts to time change/jet lag/long layover in record time. London is such a great city, and I hope she enjoys every minute.

  138. 138.

    Ruckus

    @Steeplejack:
    I was such a regular on the 8am flight from Columbus OH to Hartsfield to catch a flight to somewhere else that some of the flight attendants would recognize me. Columbus is like a lot of places, you can’t fly from there to most any where else non stop and without transfer.

  140. 140.

    Ruckus

    @raven:
    I think there are a bunch of us the same age or within a year on here. Hell they named a football team after us, the 49ers.

    ETA and BTW I’m paying my VA bill and got a notice with it that the VA is no longer processing our payments, US Bank is doing that. So someone is getting a cut of this. There’s really no reason for doing this otherwise.

  141. 141.

    Mai Naem mobile

    RIP Mr. Ross/egg. 73 is way too young. Condolences to his family. This is just really sad.

  142. 142.

    A Ghost To Most

    @eemom: Some good came from that. I went out to the shelter that Monday, and brought home my 18 lb short-haired Steve Doppelganger. Maple is a great cat, except for waking me up extra early. I rarely miss the beginning of Moaning Joe, at 4:00 AM in these parts.

  145. 145.

    West of the Rockies

    @Bex:

    Oh, you’re right; she’s been absent for a time. Redshirt never returned after Das Clump got elected.

  146. 146.

    SiubhanDuinne

    I think EFG commented at Ed’s Gin and Tacos place. Rarely go there any longer, and I don’t believe I’ve ever commented there, but I’m thinking that the G&T commentariat might want to know about his passing. Anybody?

  150. 150.

    frosty

    @Steeplejack:

    flying through Atlanta

    Back in rhe railroad era the line was “I don’t know if I’m going to heaven or hell but I know I have to change in Atlanta.”

    Times haven’t changed.

  152. 152.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Bex:

    Whatever happened to Muddy?

    Also, and I’m almost afraid to ask this, whatever became of Arguing with Signposts?

    And there was a commenter with a nym something like Finely Ground Black People (after that awful cookbook typo). Whatever happened to her/him?

    Also, I miss SIA/ScreamingInAtlanta. Haven’t seen her in years — for sure since before I retired in 2013.

    Too many people just up and disappearing :-(

  154. 154.

    Steeplejack

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    * Checks the records *

    Grandpa John was born in 1937. Ladyraxterinok was born in 1940. And I think Gammyjill (?) might be about your age.

  156. 156.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Steeplejack:

    And then that evening came the terrible news of Tunch’s death: “RIP, Tunch, the Best Cat Ever.” There were 1,036 comments on that thread.

    I was at a bar, saw that headline, and burst into noisy tears, causing great consternation amongst my friends.

    It’s hard to explain that you’re sobbing because a cat you’ve never met, the beloved companion of a person you’ve never met, has perished cruelly and suddenly.

    Don’t even start me on Walter.

  160. 160.

    chopper

    @Steeplejack:

    CS and JSF continuing in raging-asshole mode. I still don’t know what triggered them so much. Maybe the idea that people on a blog could care about those people in real life.

    it’s the internet. some people take it very, very seriously. and they hold grudges and act like assholes.

  162. 162.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @schrodingers_cat:

    Nope. SIA (female) is a very gifted interior designer who lives (or lived) in Decatur. For the life of me I can’t remember her real-life name, although I knew it well about 7-8 years ago. Am so sorry she and I were never able to get together.

  167. 167.

    Tim C.

    @SiubhanDuinne: Walter’s story makes me cry… both for the cruelty he endured and the fact John Cole basically became the avatar of the god of crusty, curmudgeonly, misanthropic angels through his actions that day. As for efgoldman, may he rest in the light; may his family and friends find peace; and hopefully the universe is kinder than I imagine and Tunch rubs against his leg in the place where the jackals go.

    Side note: if there’s a real afterlife I want to go where the jackals go.

  170. 170.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Steeplejack:

    As sad and awful and shocking and horrible as that day was for us … how much more terrible must it have been for John?

  174. 174.

    polyorchnid octopunch

    Locally, I’m very well known as a public asshole… in particular, a public music asshole. I’ll happily blat the shit out of whatever show is going on that night, and I’m fortunate enough to live in a small city (~120K) that has a lot of whatever show is going on. EFG’s dying wish is … interesting to me. Since my old friend Joe (a bass player I played in a number of bands with) around twenty years ago or so) died back in ’99, we here in Krusty the K-town (i.e. Kingston, Ontario) have had a musical instrument lending library that was set up in Joe’s honour (and you’d better believe that word is “honour” mfers). You can find it online at joesmill.org, and I’d like to recommend all of you to check it out. I’ve been donating time and money to that place for a lot of years; Joe was an old friend of mine, we lived in the same house for many years and played in quite a few bands together. As a charity concept to drive music education, it’s a really good one… and one of the basic precepts is that if you’re not actually around Krusty the K-town you’ll do fare better to set one up in your community than give money to us.

    Just sayin’ that I think Mr. EFG would’ve really liked it, and that it’s worth investigating for you poor motherfuckers who have to live south of the border.

    Cheers,

    The Last Asshole Canadian i.e. polyorchnid octopunch

  175. 175.

    A Ghost To Most

    A portion of a favorite song, The Living Bubba, would seem to fit:

    Don’t give me no pity don’t give me no grief
    Wit till I die for sympathy
    Just help me with this amp and a guitar or two
    I can’t die now ’cause I got another show to do
    Don’t give me no preachin’ no self servin’
    I ain’t no angel but nobody’s deserving
    I can dance on my own grave, Thank You!
    But I can’t die now ’cause I got another show
    Some people keep saying I can’t last long
    But I got my bands I got my songs,
    Liquor, beer, and nicotine to help me along
    And I’m drunk and stubborn as they come
    Chain smoking, guitar picking, til I’m gone,
    Gone, gone, gone gone

  177. 177.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Steeplejack:

    Grandpa John was born in 1937. Ladyraxterinok was born in 1940. And I think Gammyjill (?) might be about your age.

    So Gammyjill and i are tied for bronze?

  180. 180.

    something fabulous

    De-lurking again just to add to the rest that I am so amazed this community is so able to support and remember its own, and so sad that/when we need to. EFG, you will be missed by commenters and lurkers alike; your memory not only will be but already is a blessing. Love to your beloved family, on and offline.

  181. 181.

    Citizen Scientist

    Thanks Siubhan and Adam. I really do miss EFG’s voice around here.

    At least we have his eternal phrase to guide us on.

    White light EFG and family.

  186. 186.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @polyorchnid octopunch:

    Kingston Ontario.

    Queen’s? I know (or at least knew) plenty of people from Queen’s.

    My family are up on the Georgian Bay. Hoping to drive up for a visit later this summer.

  187. 187.

    Steeplejack

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    The records are, uh, incomplete.

    Gammyjill was in this thread earlier. Maybe she’ll swing back around.

    And there’s another Granny[something] commenter, I think in Minnesota, who might be about your age.

  189. 189.

    Ruckus

    @SiubhanDuinne:
    Higgs Boson’s Mate
    dance around in your bones
    JenJen
    Just some of the names I don’t see or don’t see very often anymore.
    It’s been long enough now that I don’t even remember when I showed up here but I’d bet it’s 10 yrs or so.

  197. 197.

    eemom

    The guy who made the tacky ass caricatures of famous people; had a series of names including some kitchen implement. Was a tad on the obnoxious side.

    The guy who moved to S. Korea….Morzer.

    Sarah Proud and Tall!

    Handsmile, a nice gentleman who lived in NYC.

    Another guy who went by a series of names….Hat on My Cat, Angus, the God of Beef. I was actually friends with him on FB for a while until he pissed me off. He was in a relationship with a woman he met here; they were living together last I heard.

    And yes, the immortal little toko-loko.

    Good times.

  201. 201.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Steeplejack: which means they’re smarter than I thought

    @NotMax: ha!

    @eemom:

    He was in a relationship with a woman he met here; they were living together last I heard.

    Balloon Juice is the new Grindr. Er, Tinder.

  202. 202.

    Bill Arnold

    @Steeplejack:

    Bookended by Matoko-chan. Oh, and that made me think of mclaren.

    Matoko-chan was fun. (She(?) once asked if I “was a conservative” – mind did a few (meta)loops thinking about that question. The answer, roughly; small-c dictionary-definition conservatism is a form of risk management. Now, I’m quite willing to stir up the chaos.)

    I came here roughly 2006/2007; not sure if lurked first. Had been frequenting/commenting on right wing blogs (e.g. Just One Minute) learning how to argue against conservatives and wingnuts in the GWBush administration and this place was a welcome mix of ages, politics, nationalities, genders, with a flat comment section (yay!) and decent community-driven troll-control.

    efgoldman I will miss.

  203. 203.

    Lurker Dan

    Delurking to pay respects to Mr Ross/efgoldman. His voice will be missed.

    The last time I delurked was for Schlemazel, another voice silenced too early. Wherever they are now, a waiter has spilled the soup on Schlemazel and efg intones, with perfect pitch and timing, “fuckem.”

  204. 204.

    polyorchnid octopunch

    @SiubhanDuinne: Yeah, Queen’s is in Kingston. I’ve gone there a few times myself; phil in the nineties and CS in the oughts. That said, I’m a Kingston guy, not a Queen’s guy, if you follow what I mean.

    There’s some beautiful country up by the Georgian Bay. Been up there myself, but not for many years; it’s a long way away from me. If it’s summertime, go get yourself up in Killarney Park: it’s amazing.

  205. 205.

    polyorchnid octopunch

    @A Ghost To Most: Just a dirty fuckin’ hippie, that’s me.

    Should add that Never Mind the Bollocks came out when I was ten, so I got an early inoculation against becoming the kind of person about whom it was said “never trust a hippie.”

  207. 207.

    satby

    So many names out of the past! I wandered over here from Atrios’ place when he called Cole “a reasonable conservative” or something like that and my reaction was ” this I have to see”. So before John went from Republican to Independent, then to Democrat. I lurked for years before starting to comment occasionally in the run-up to the 2008 election, don’t really remember exactly when. Some of our former commenters are on Twitter now, like Sooner and Zandar. But it would be great to see more of them back here again occasionally.

  208. 208.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    A couple of other good people from the past; Thymezone and Rome Again. Oh, and a shithead; myiq2xu (aka: GoatBoy!).

  209. 209.

    Steeplejack

    @NotMax:

    The latter two didn’t really disappear, because we know where they went. WaterGirl I worry/​wonder about sometimes; I got the feeling somehow that her situation was precarious, mentally and/​or financially.

  216. 216.

    J R in WV

    @piratedan:

    dunno how feasible it may be, but perhaps the blog can have an “in memorium” section and in the rebuild perhaps a link to some of our fellow commenters like efg and schlemazel and captain stuck. We could archive some of their commentary and it would allow us to visit and remember them

    Brilliant!! I second, or third, or however many got in ahead of me.

  217. 217.

    eemom

    @Steeplejack:

    I left out the stalker whose nym was not “small footwear” because I didn’t want to trigger Omnes.

    Aw, wasn’t he just the saddest little stalker ever? Did he end up getting the boot (haw haw) because he creeped O out so much?

  218. 218.

    J R in WV

    @Another Scott:

    Thanks for that link — EFG was hilarious in that thread. Emily Dickenson Poems can be sung to the tune of Gilligan’s Island theme!!! OMG LOL!

    And General Stuck shining, also too.

    Hope the new B-J let’s us look that stuff up!!

  219. 219.

    J R in WV

    @Mr Stagger Lee:

    I thank him for his contributions in classical music. It is a blessing to have an classical station in a community, I donate to one. My Condolences to his family and friends.

    Our public station used to have classical music from when the talking ended in the early evening until 5 am when BBC news aired. Now they have one canned show from 10 am til noon, and their own broadcast from noon til 2 pm. That’s it.

    I called and asked, it cost $20K for all night classical, and they already paid for BBC, so now it’s BBC World News all night for onelowlowprice. Makes it hard to make that sustaining contribution every month!!!!

  220. 220.

    J R in WV

    @Steve in the ATL:

    …the collective wine list of all restaurants in the Indianapolis airport….

    They have an airport in Indiana-no-place??? I thought they would think it was demonology!!!

  223. 223.

    Ruckus

    @polyorchnid octopunch:
    We used to look enough alike to be brothers. When I had hair on my head and beard wasn’t mostly white and I wore glasses. Other than that….. And that was about a hundred years ago. It’s possible that it just feels like a hundred years some days.

  224. 224.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??

    Just wanted to say, you’ll be missed, EF. I really enjoyed all the times we talked. RIP

  226. 226.

    polyorchnid octopunch

    @J R in WV: @Ruckus: Yeah hear you there… I’m a little greyer now than I was in that pic, and a little thicker in the middle. Still playing though. And one thing about getting old… it sure beats the alternative.

  227. 227.

    Laura Too

    What a wonderful place. Something about late night radio hosts-this place attracts them. Mark (Schlamazel)
    did his stint back in the day. I would love to see a memorial page in the new BJ iteration. I love seeing peoples memories of him, keeps him alive for me. I will miss EFG comments as well. Best to all.

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